Windowed display package



y 1968 J. R. GREEN ETAL 3,

WINDOWED D I SPLAY PACKAGE Filed May 27, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l Allan yaks Jim noun 6. /44/101 #421 Z/mm-emm 0/ 517! 1:44;!

' Irrvzwz-rs y 6, 1968 J. R. GR-EEN ETAL. 3,392,323

WINDOWED D I SPLAY PACKAGE Filed May 27, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A r-familiar July 16, 1968 J. R. GREEN ETAL WINDOWED DISPLAY PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 27, 195

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a 0 g 9/ n w m fi a K a u n if A 4 0 9, M 1 u m m w Mm. I n i w D2 7 I a M mun M W Z 1M0 United States Patent 3,392,823 WINDOWED DISPLAY PACKAGE James Richard Green, Long Beach, William Karl Zimmerman, Hermosa Beach, and Oreste Arcese, Inglewood, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 27, 1966, Ser. No. 553,468 5 Claims. (Cl. 20645.33)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display package comprising a hollow carton having an animated toy figure fixed therein behind a viewing opening and having an access opening through which the animating means can be reached for manipulation. A further window in the carton admits light to illuminate the figure and a printed background scene in the carton. The carton is completely covered by a shrunk fit film of transparent tough plastic material having a single opening registering with the access opening in the carton.

The present invention relates to a new and useful display package and to the apparatus for :and method of manufacturing such a package which is tamper-proof, which inhances the appearance of an article displayed therein and which includes an access opening through which an actuating means on the article may be manipulated without damaging the package.

It is well known in the prior art that certain articles of manufacture, such as plush figure toys, dolls, music boxes and the like, have a greater impact on a customer who may freel handle the article. Such hand-ling, of course, quite often makes the article unmarketable due to the soiling thereof. The soiling problem was partially overcome in the prior art by providing transparent packages for the article. While generally satisfactory, such packages have the disadvantage that, although the article may be handled, any actuating means provided on the article for operating it is not accessible to the prospective buyer. Consequently, the transparent packaging is quite often torn away so that the prospective buyer may have access to the actuating means.

Another disadvantage with certain prior art packages resides in the fact that they do not lend themselves to attractively displaying certain articles, such as animated toys, in such a manner that the appearance of the toy is enhanced.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of display packages which'display articles such as animated toys, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful display package not subject to the disadvantages enumerated above which includes an access opening through which an actuating means for the toy is accessible and which is wrapped in a transparent wrapper incapable of being torn away by the hands of a prospective purchaser of the toy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful package having a suitable background scene provided on the inner surface thereof and a light transmitting window for admitting light to the scene.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a display package of the type described.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a display package of the type described.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new .and useful apparatus for facilitating the installation of a heat-shrinkable wrapper on a package of the type describe-d.

3,392,823 Patented July 16, 1968 "ice According to the present invention, a display package is provided for an article of manufacture having an actuating means. The package includes a carton having front, back, side, top and bottom walls, each of which includes an inner surface. The side walls and the back wall are provided with a background scene on the inner surface thereof giving a frame of reference indicative of the environment commonly associated with the article being displayed in the package.

The top wall of the package is provided with a window for admitting light to the interior of the carton and the front wall is provided with a window through which the article may be viewed.

The article is sufficiently smaller than the front window and the side walls of the cart-on so that the background scene is enhanced.

An access opening as provided in one of the side walls through which the actuating means may be manipulated and means are provided for securing the article in position within the carton behind the front-wall window in such a manner that the actuating means is adjacent the access opening.

A transparent, heat-shrinkable wrapper is shrunk fit about all sides of the carton. The wrapper is made from a tough, plastic material impenetrable to the human hand and the wrapper is provided with an opening communicating with the access opening. The opening in the wrapper includes a heat-fused, peripheral edge closely adjacent the peripheral edge of the access opening for minimizing the likelihood of damage to the wrapper during manipulation of the actuating means through the access opening.

The wrapper is applied to the package from a supply roll of center-folded, transparent, plastic material which is somewhat loosely wrapped about the package. This operation leaves a projecting, triangular portion or dog ear at each corner of the package. These corner portions are removed with the apparatus of the present invention before the package is sent through an oven to heat shrink the transparent wrapper.

A heated, annular cutting implement is then applied to the transparent wrapper over the access opening to burn away the wrapper leaving the access opening unobstructed. This operation leaves a fused peripheral edge on the transparent wrapper adjacent the peripheral edge of the access opening for minimizing the likelihood of damaging the wrapper during manipulation of the actuating means by inserting a hand of the operator through the access opening.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a package of the present invention having parts broken away to show internal construction and having a plush figure toy displayed therein;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 looking in at the package and article thereof at a different angle;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, front elevational view of the package and article shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the package of FIGURE 1 and associate apparatus during one step in a package-wrapping operation of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view showing a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 4 in operative engagement with a wrapper for the package of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, perspective view of the package of FIGURE 1 following the package-wrapping step of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view showing the package of FIG- URE 1 and associated apparatus during another step in the package-wrapping operation of the present invention;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 8, showing a portion of the apparatus thereof in a first operating position;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 9 showing said portion in a second operating position;

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the package of FIGURE 1 and associated apparatus during yet another step in the package-wrapping operation of the present invention;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged, perspective view showing the package of FIGURE 1 and associated apparatus during a further step in the package-wrapping operation of the present invention; and

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged, partial side-elevational view looking in the direction of arrows 1414 of FIGURE 13.

Referring again to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1-3, a display package constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 10, includes a carton 12 having a bottom wall 14, a top wall 16, a front wall 18, a rear wall 20, a first side wall 22 and a second side Wall 24. The rear wall 20 and the side Walls 22, 24 define an inner surface 26 upon which a suitable background scene 28 may be provided for enhancing the appearance of an article 30 displayed in the package 10. The background scene 28 provides a frame of reference indicative of the environment commonly associated with the article 30. For example, the article 30 is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, as constituting a plush figure toy simulating a Saint Bernard dog. The background scene 28 simulates snowy mountain tops commonly associated with Saint Bernard dogs. It is to be noted that the display carton 12 is sufficiently larger than the article 30 that the article 30 and the background scene 28 are shown to good advantage through afront wall window 32 provided in the front wall 18. The background scene 28 and the article 30 may be illuminated though a top-wall window 34 provided in the top wall 16.

The article 30 includes a mouth portion 36 which is caused to move when an actuating means 38 (FIGURE 14) is manipulated. The actuating means 38 includes a ring 40 which is attached to a drawstring 42 for actuating a phonograph device (not shown) of the type disclosed in Patent No. 3,017,187. A prospective purchaser of the article 30 may manipulate the actuating means 38 by inserting his hand through an access opening 44 provided in the side wall 22 and, when so manipulated, the mouth 36 is caused to move. It should be noted that the largeness of the carton 12 permits positioning the article 30 sufliciently behind the window 32 that the mouth 36 may move freely.

The article 30 is positioned within the window 32 on a platform 46 which is supported by the bottom wall 14. The article 30 is secured in position on the platform 46 by a securing means 48 which encompasses the neck 50 of the article 30 beneath a decorative, dog collar 52. The securing means 48 is secured to the back Wall 20 so that the article 30 will not become displaced from its position within the carton 12 when the actuating means 38 is manipulated.

Direct handling of the article 30 is prevented by a transparent, tough wrapper 54 which is heat-shrunk onto the carton 12 in accordance with the method of the present invention to completely seal the package 12. The access opening 44 may then be uncovered by burning away a portion of the wrapper 54 to leave a large aperture 56 (FIGURE 14) having a heat-fused, peripheral edge 58 positioned adjacent the peripheral edge of the access opening 44. The peripheral edge 58 is heat-fused to minimize the likelihood that the wrapper 54 will become split or otherwise damaged in the vicinity of the aperture 56 during manipulation of the actuating means 38. The wrapper 54 is preferably made from a heat-shrinkable, transparent material, such as biaxially orientated polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, or polystyrene film. This material will shrink in all directions when heated. The film is preferably about 1.0 mil to 2.0 mil thick so that it is impenetrable to the human hand.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-14, the wrapper 54 may be applied to the carton 12 in accordance with the method of the present invention and is supplied in a continuous length from a supply roll 60 in the form of a center folded sheet 62 which is folded along a fold line 64 providing an upper layer 66 and a lower layer 63.

The sheet 62 is drawn along a table 69 into position under a heating frame 70 which is normally maintained in a raised position by spring means 72. When the sheet 62 is in position under the frame 70, a carton 12 may be placed between the upper layer 66 and the lower layer 68 with the top wall 16 against the folded edge 64 of the sheet 62 and the end wall 24 against a downstream, transverse, heat-sealed edge 74 formed on the sheet 62 by a previous method step of severing a wrapper 54 from the sheet 62. The frame 70 may then be lowered by a handle 75 onto the sheet 62 whereupon a pair of heated arms 76 and 73 on the frame 70 heat-seal and sever the wrapper 54 adjacent the side wall 22 and the bottom wall 14, respectively. The arms 76 and 78 are each preferably heated by very thin (0.002O inch) Nichrome Wire 79 to minimize the width of the sealed edge so that it will lie flat on the carton 12 after the heat-shrinking operation. The frame 70, in severing the Wrapper 54 from the sheet 62, leaves an outwardly extending, two-ply-thick triangular portion 80 at each of the four edges 82, 84, 86 and 88 of the carton 12. Since the carton 12 is of the type commonly referred to as high profile, the triangular portions 80 are fairly large. This, coupled with the 1-2 mil thickness of the wrapper 54, makes it impractical to heatshrink the wrapper 54 sufficiently to do away with the triangular portions 30.

In accordance with the method of the present invention, these triangular portions 80 are preferably done away with by employing an apparatus 90 of the present invention which includes a package-supporting platform 92 mounted on a piston rod 94 for reciprocation thereby when a hydraulic cylinder 95 is actuated. The package 10 may be properly positioned on the platform 92 by positioning it between upstanding flanges 96 extending upwardly from one edge and one end of the platform 92. The cylinder 95 may then be actuated to lower the platform 92. This moves the triangular portions 80 downwardly between a vertically extending heating element 98 and a pressure arm or blade 100. Each arm 100 may be moved into and out of engagement with an associated heating element 98 by an associated hydraulic cylinder 102 having a piston rod 104 connected to its arm 100 by a clevis 106. The triangular portions 80 are guided into position between their associated heating elements 98 and blades 100 by a guide means 108 having a pair of upstanding, parallel, spaced apart sidewalls 110, 112 and a pair of upstanding parallel spaced apart end walls 114, 116 which retain the package 10 in a properly orientated position as the platform 92 lowers it so that the triangular portions 80 will move downwardly between the heating elements 98 and the blades 100. The walls 110, 112, 114 and 116 are sufiiciently shorter than associated walls of the package 10 that vertical slots 118 are formed adjacent associated heating elements 98 so that the as sociated triangular portions 80 are free to travel downwardly as the package is lowered by platform 92. The portions 80 may be properly positioned between their associated heating elements 98 and arms 100 by associated suction heads 119 which subject the portions 80 to a vacuum. After the triangular portions 80 have been thus properly positioned, an associated cylinder 102 may be actuated to move its connected arm 100 toward its heating element 98 pressing the triangular portion 80 thereagainst. A 0.0020 inch Nichrome wire 98a in each heating element 98 then severs the associated triangular portion 80 along a thin line while simultaneously sealing the wrapper 54 along the severed edges forming a thin, heat-sealed edge 120 which intersects with the previously formed line or edge 74, as shown in FIGURE 12. Fluid flow to the hydraulic cylinders 102 and 95 may then be reversed to move the arms 100 away from their associated heating elements 98 and to elevate the platform 92 lifting the package 10 upwardly to a position above the walls 110, 112, 114 and 116 while the suction heads 119 remove the severed portions 80 from the apparatus 90.

The package 10 may then be removed from the platform 92 and sent through a heating oven 122 where the wrapper 54 is heat-shrunk by exposing it to a temperature of from about 250 to 350 F. for approximately 3 to 12 seconds. The package may then be taken from the oven 122 and placed in a fixture 124 which positions the access opening 44 in alignment with a heated cutting element 126 which burns away a portion of the wrapper 54 leaving the aperture 56 and forming the fused edge 58.

The heat-shrinking operation causes the fused edges 74 and 120 to shrink into fine lines, as shown in FIG- URE 13.

A few examples of the method of the invention are as follows:

Example I A carton 12 was placed between the upper layer 66 and the lower layer 68 of a sheet 62 having a center folded edge 64 and a heat sealed edge 74. The sheet 62 was a transparent, biaxially orientated polypropylene film having approximately 1.5 mil thickness. A wrapper portion 54 was then severed from the sheet 62 by applying a heated 0.0020 inch Nichrome wire to the sheet 62 adjacent the carton 12 to sever the wrapper 54 from the sheet 62 while simultaneously sealing the severed edges both on the sheet 62 and the wrapper 54. Simultaneously, the unsealed edges of the upper layer 66 and the lower layer 68 were sealed together and severed in a like manner. The resulting wrapper 54 was loosely draped about the carton 12 with the layers 66 and 68 extending from four edges of the carton 12 in a triangular pattern forming the triangular portions 80. The said triangular portions 80 were then removed by severing them closely adjacent the carton 12 employing a heating element comprising a 0.0020 inch Nichrome wire. This fused the severed edges on the wrapper 54 adjacent the four corners of the carton 12. The package 10 was then heated in a suitable oven to a temperature of approximately 325 for approximately 11 seconds.

A portion of the shrunk wrapper was then cut away forming an access opening in the package 10.

Example II A package was wrapped in accordance with the preceding example except that 1.0 mil film was employed and the access opening was heat-fused around its Example IV A package may be wrapped in accordance with Example I except that a 2.0 mil film of biaxially orientated polystyrene film may be employed.

Example V A package was wrapped in accordance with Example I except that the severed, peripheral edge of the access opening was heat-fused.

Example VI A package was wrapped in accordance with Example I except that severed, triangular portions were drawn into a suction head before being severed.

While the particular display package, method and apparatus herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction, design or method steps herein shown and described other than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display package enclosing an article of manufacture having an manipulable means, comprising:

a carton having front, back, side, top and bottom walls,

one of said walls being provided with a viewing window opening through which said article may be viewed;

an access opening formed in one of said walls through which said manipulable means may be manipulated;

means securing said article in fixed position within said carton behind said viewing window opening in such a manner that said manipulable means is adjacent said access opening and acessible therethrough; and

a transparent, heat shrinkable wrapper of tough plastic material shrunk fit about all sides of said carton, said wrapper being provided with an opening aligned with said access opening.

2. A display package as stated in claim 1 wherein said opening in said wrapper includes a heat-fused peripheral edge closely adjacent the peripheral edge of said access opening for minimizing the likelihood of damage to said wrapper during manipulation of said manipulable means through said access opening.

3. A display package as stated in claim 1 wherein said wrapper is made from a tough, plastic material substantially impenetrable to the human hand.

4. A display package as stated in claim 1 wherein a further one of said walls is provided with a light-admitting window for admitting light to the interior of said carton.

5. A display package as stated in claim 4 wherein said viewing window is provided in said front wall and wherein each of said walls has an inner surface, said side and back walls having a background scene provided on said inner surface, said background scene providing a frame of reference indicative of the environment commonly associated with said article, said article being sufliciently smaller than said viewing window and said walls that said background scene is enhanced.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,667,104 4/1928 De Cesare 46-183 2,804,902 9/1957 Luther et a1 ISO-52.8 2,840,228 6/1958 Takacs 206-45.31 3,066,792 12/1962 Spilman et a1 206-45.33 3,166,878 l/1965 Pepitone et al 53-30 3,217,874 11/1965 Potter 206-65 3,289,386 12/ 1966 Farmer 53-28 3,295,290 1/1967 Billingsley et a1 53-28 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,028 8/ 1937 Great Britain. 465,739 5/1937 Great Britain.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner. 

